After much speculation, Charmaine Sheh (佘詩曼) has finally decided to sign with TVBC, a mainland China joint venture between TVB, China Media Capital (CMC) and Shanghai Media Group (SMG). When Charmaine’s prior mainland management contract ended in March, many companies leaped at the opportunity and presented the 38-year-old with lucrative offers. There were rumors that Hong Kong entertainment giant EEG was willing to pay $40 million HKD for a two-year contract. The main contenders in this battle however are Huayi Brothers Media, which offered Charmaine 80 million RMB, and TVBC, which set the price at 50 million RMB. Previously, Charmaine expressed that she is hoping to continue her work in mainland China and will place more weight on the length of the agreements. On August 21, Charmaine was seen at the Hong Kong airport along with Kate Tsui (徐子珊), Bosco Wong (黃宗澤), and TVB executive Virginia Lok (樂易玲). The group was traveling to Beijing to attend the 2013 China International Film & TV Programs Exhibition where they will present their upcoming series at the TVB Family Film and Television press conference. When pressed about her contract decision, Charmaine finally revealed her plans to sign with TVBC. “I am not sure if I can talk about this yet. There will be an announcement made tomorrow at a press conference. I have always had a per-series contract with TVB. This time it will be a management contract. The conditions are great.” When asked about the price of the agreement, Charmaine said, “There were many rumors about this. TVBC is very sincere. The length of the contract is estimated to be two years. I will focus on the mainland market, but will also film for TVB, possibly one series per year.” Asked if Ms. Lok personally met with her for negotiations, Charmaine said, “I have always negotiated with Ms. Lok. When I left [TVB], I wanted to work with mainland actors and production teams to broaden my perspective. I will be able to maintain my reputation [while accomplishing the above].” Charmaine added that she was given a lot of freedom with this contract, and is satisfied by its length. Creds: Ming Pao
